


I Can Tell That We Are Going To Be Friends

by Lie2theTruth



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Artsy!Gerard, Friendship, Gen, Let's Start a Band, New Boy at School, Punk Rock Frank, Skater Boy Frank, Sweet & Fluffy, high school setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22021984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lie2theTruth/pseuds/Lie2theTruth
Summary: Frank keeps his distance from others as a general rule. That doesn't mean he doesn't give a damn about his reputation, though. When the nerdy new kid at school, Gerard, tries to be his friend he's going to have to let go of his preconceived notions of what cool really is. And also how to let people in.
Relationships: Frank Iero & Gerard Way
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. Frank is a Punk Rocker

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as an experiment in writing Frank (a young sarcastic badass Frank) and of course a cute nerdy Gerard. I'm not sure where this is going or if it will get completed, but I hope you enjoy what I have written here!

Frank had noticed him of course. The new, quiet kid. Their high school was pretty small so even if you skipped most days, like he did, you would notice something like that.

It didn’t look like the new kid was especially interested in making friends either. He kept to himself at lunch- Frank actually sat inside the cafeteria one day to make sure. Also the other boy kept a notebook and pencils with him at all times. Or maybe it was something for drawing? It was hard to tell without his glasses. The ones he broke while skateboarding a few months back. The ones he could not afford to have replaced.

They didn’t have any classes together either. Probably because Frank took the lowest level class possible for every subject. This kid looked like he’d be an honor’s student for sure.

No one mentioned his name either or even pointed him out so Frank could ask questions. That was the most frustrating part. He couldn’t be seen talking to some nerd. His reputation was hanging by a thread as it was. He blew off his skateboarding clique every time they passed around a blunt. For whatever reason that didn’t feel like Frankie’s thing and it made him “uncool.”

Fate intervened one day when Frank got detention for smoking cigarettes in the parking lot instead of going to math class. He had to stay after school and help the art teacher- the lame old man who’d caught him- clean up his classroom.

Frank had never been in the art room so he didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be ahuge room. All around were supplies and something that vaguely looked like some sort of torture device. As he reached over to touch it, a nearby voice halted him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

He looked over so quickly he practically strained his neck. “Who are you?” Ended up being Frank’s reply. It was the new kid so his identity was far more interesting to him than whatever that thing was.

The other boy looked slightly amused at the question, “My name is Gerard. Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand for Frank to shake.

Frank just stared dumbly for a good minute. No one shook his hand, ever, except old people. “What kind of name is Gerard?” He annunciated it carefully as if it was a foreign word.

“It’s my name. Do you have one as well?”

“Frank.”

“Okay, Frank. Nice to meet you. I see you’re not big on shaking hands, which is understandable. It’s about to be flu season.”

Frank continued to stare. Who the fuck was this kid? And why did he talk like a fifty year old man?

Mr. Ross, the art teacher, interrupted them. “Ah, Mr. Iero. So glad you could join us. I need help moving some canvases into the storage closet. I hope you’re stronger than you look.”

He had a reply for that, but Frank didn’t really want detention two days in a row. Instead he followed the older man to the back of the room and waited for instructions. It didn’t look like Gerard would be helping them move things, but he was washing out paintbrushes. He couldn’t have detention too could he?

As if reading his thoughts, Mr. Ross told him, “Mr. Way helps out after school in exchange for using any of the art supplies he needs. He’s got real talent.”

Frank was never interested in art before now, but suddenly he really wanted to see what “talent” Gerard possessed. However he felt one of those large canvases being pressed into his arms so his attention was diverted. Those fucking things were really heavy, but he’d be damned if anyone saw him struggle to carry something- even if it was almost as big as him.

After what seemed like hours later he was finally released for the evening. Frank could tell his arms were going to ache for days. He collapsed on a bench outside to catch his breath before he started to walk home. His mom would certainly have a few words with him, but his dad was already at work pulling a nightshift. Frank would have to deal with that in the morning.

“Want to walk home together?” Gerard asked cheerfully, appearing beside him almost instantaneously.

“Shit, you scared me, man. Do you like practice being so fucking quiet?”

The other boy looked so upset that Frank immediately backtracked. “I mean where do you live?”

“Just one street over from you.” Again the joy on the other’s face was evident. Frank raised an eyebrow at this information, however, and Gerard’s face fell. “I sound weird don’t I?”

“Maybe a little.”

“It’s just that I’ve seen you walk home before and we go the same way. Except you turn one street before me.”

Frank nodded and stood up. His ratty old backpack had one strap broken so he slung the only remaining one onto his shoulders. “Come on, Gee. I’m calling you Gee from now on.”

Gerard looked so pleased to have nickname he didn’t even argue. He was a good few inches taller than Frank, but the smaller boy walked so fast he struggled to keep up.

“Why. Are. We. Walking. So. Fast?” Gerard asked, struggling to catch his breath between each word.

“I got to get home and face my ma’s wrath.”

“I could cover for you. Say that I needed help with homework or something…?”

Frank could barely contain his laughter. “She’d never believe that. I don’t even do my own homework.”

“Why not?”

“What’s the point? I’m not going to college or anything.”

“What do you want to do then?”

Frank paused. No one had asked him that before. It was just assumed he’d work a menial job till he dropped dead or something. He had dreams, everyone did, but they weren’t going to come true. This was no fucking fairy tale. It was Jersey.

“It’s not important,” he mumbled, picking up his pace again.

“Sure it is.” Clearly this kid could not take a hint about when to let stuff go. “I’ll go first. I want to write comic books.”

Of course he does, Frank thought to himself. “I want to be in a band.”

“That’s awesome! I like music too. Do you play an instrument?”

“Guitar.”

“I play a little too. I’m teaching myself and my younger brother, Mikey. He likes metal a lot like Anthrax, but I’m more into the Pixies.”

He was a little bit impressed with Gerard’s music knowledge, but he wouldn’t admit it. “I like punk music.”

“Cool!” Gerard looked beyond thrilled that they shared a common interest. It looked like he was about to say something else when a loud voice echoed down the street.

“Frank Anthony Iero Junior! Get your sorry behind in here right now!”

“Shit. That’s my ma. I gotta run.” Frank gave a lopsided smile to Gerard before taking off. Once he got to his apartment complex he turned around to see the other boy still standing there watching. Frank gave a little wave which was returned with vigor by Gerard.

“Who’s that?” Mrs. Iero asked.

“A new friend from school.”

“He looks like a nice boy, not like that riff-raff you usually hang out with. Now come help me with the lasagna I’m making and explain to me why you’re late this time.”

Frank sighed. Maybe he should have had Gee make up a cover story for him. Well at least his last meal would be his favorite.


	2. We're Going Down Swinging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little chapter I did as a warm up because I haven't written in awhile feat. guard dog Frank.

Frank lived to see another day, which was sort of unexpected. His mom hated when he smoked so when he eventually told her the truth about his detention she should have freaked out based on past experience. Instead she made him hand over his pack of cigarettes and made sure he wasn’t hiding any others.

The next day at school Frank arrived earlier than usual- mostly because his mom made him, but mainly he wanted to avoid the smoking circle at school. He felt supremely uncool without his pack of cigs. He wore his hood up to cover his face and snuck inside. Where did you go to wait for class to start anyway? It was so quiet; it was eerie.

An idea entered his mind and he almost ignored it. Still what did he have to lose? He made his way towards the art classroom to see if Gerard was hanging out there.

His instinct was right. Gerard was hunched over a sketchbook scribbling away. Frank didn’t want to sneak up on him so he was about to announce his presence when the other kid did that for him.

“Hey, Frank,” Gerard said without even looking up. “How are you this morning?”

Frank was a little startled. How did he know it was him? “I’m okay, thanks.” He cleared his throat, suddenly very nervous.

“Have a seat,” the other boy offered. Gerard looked up finally and gave Frank a smile that instantly put him at ease.

He slumped down in the chair that was offered- his normal posture- and glanced over at whatever Gerard was drawing. Frank squinted at it, trying to figure out what it was. He knew he needed glasses, still that was for seeing far away things. “What is it?” he blurted out.

“Uniform ideas.”

“Like for school?” Frank was disgusted by the idea. He wore threadbare thrift store clothes, but he always found cool concert t-shirts to wear. He couldn’t imagine wearing a button down everyday. It was bad enough at midnight mass.

Gerard laughed, well more like giggled. It was probably the cutest thing Frank had ever heard. “No, for like superheroes. They’re all a part of the same family so they wear matching outfits when saving the world.”

Normally Frank would make fun of someone for liking that kind of stuff, but this kid seemed so happy about his own ideas that he knew he’d fight anyone who made fun of Gerard from this moment on. Little did the new kid know he was getting a new guard dog named Frank Iero.

They continued to talk about this family of crime fighters- mostly Gerard talking with Frank asking a question every now and then. When the bell rang for class he was more pissed than usual.

“We can talk more at lunch if you want,” Gerard offered. There might have been a hint of nervousness in his voice like he expected Frank to laugh off the suggestion.

“Oh yeah, can we?”

“Definitely. I’ll see you then.”

They went their separate ways- Gerard to his smart kids class and Frank to his not so smart kids class. He was stopped by some of his skateboarding buddies outside of the classroom door.

“What were you doing with that weirdo?”

“Yeah he looks like a total…”

Before that kid could complete his sentence Frank started swinging. Soon enough it turned into a huge spectacle in the hallway- Frank, a much shorter kid, beating up two very large kids.

“Alright, alright!” A teacher shouted. “Stop fighting right now!” It was Mr. Ross the art teacher. What was he doing over here? “Mr. Iero, I thought you’d learnt your lesson about how to behave in school, but I guess I was wrong. Detention for you this afternoon. As for you two,” he glared at Frank’s opponents. “The principle’s office with you. Go on. March.”

Frank watched dumbly as the crowded dispersed around him. He could have sworn he saw the art teacher turn around and wink. But that couldn’t have happened. Could it?

At least he’d have a much more interesting story to tell his mom about why he got detention this time. Maybe Gerard, even though he wasn’t there, could back him up.


End file.
